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UCF looks for repeat of '07 win over N.C. State

ORLANDO -- As Central Florida junior receiver A.J. Guyton sat and watched Boise State defeat Virginia Tech on Monday night, he kept thinking back to the impact that his Knights' upset of North Carolina State had three years ago.

That victory -- a 25-23 UCF win to open the 2007 season -- propelled the Knights to their finest season in school history and eventually a Conference USA title and a berth in the Liberty Bowl.

Like Boise State, UCF is non-automatic qualifier to the Bowl Championship Series and an outsider looking to play its way into the national picture. UCF (1-0) is well aware that Saturday night's rematch against N.C. State (1-0) in Orlando is another chance to make a statement about its legitimacy as a rising program.

"That (2007 N.C. State win) really boosted our confidence knowing that it was an ACC team and that we could play with some of the big cats in the country," said Guyton, whose five receptions that day was a freshman school record at the time. "We went out that season and won the Conference USA and showed the world that we were for real."

UCF stunned the Wolfpack in 2007 when former star tailback Kevin Smith burst off the right end and went 80 yards for a touchdown on the game's first play from scrimmage. Smith, who went on to run for 2,567 yards and 30 touchdowns that season, burned the Wolfpack for 217 yards as UCF built a big early lead and held on the second half.

UCF defensive end Bruce Miller had the first of his 27 career sacks that day for a safety that proved to be the game's winning points.

Like many UCF seniors, the stunning 2007 opener is still fresh in the memories of several N.C. State players.

Owen Spencer, who caught four passes for 92 yards last week in N.C. State's 48-7 opening defeat of Western Carolina, was shocked at how UCF jumped on the Wolfpack in his first collegiate game.

"I was excited coming out of the tunnel and seeing all the fans screaming for us and everything like that," said Spencer, who's now a senior. "First snap, they take it 80 yards. It took a lot of wind out of our sails."

Saturday night's game will likely play out with either N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson or UCF's Rob Calabrese becoming the deciding factor.

Wilson showed no rustiness after returning to the Wolfpack following a stint playing minor league baseball, throwing for 306 yards and four touchdowns last week against Western Carolina.

Calabrese, who struggled each of the past two seasons as UCF's starting quarterback, strengthened his hold on the starting job with a strong showing in the Knights' 38-7 defeat of South Dakota. The junior, who held off freshman Jeff Godfrey -- Miami-Dade County's career passing leader -- in a preseason battle for the starting job, completed all nine of his first-half passes and hit on 12 of 15 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown.

UCF is hoping that a victory will put the school in position to crack the Top 25 polls for the first time in school history and garner some added national attention.

"It's a big chance for us," Calabrese insisted. "This is how you earn respect nationally, especially against ACC teams. We'll have to play well to win, and if we do that we'll get some respect."